Editor’s Note: Since we published this article about two years ago, demand for coffee grown by women producers has grown tremendously. We’re so very honored to work with these incredible women. 

I want to use this space to highlight Royal’s current offerings from women producers. Now more than ever there is demand from coffee buyers and consumers for a connection to origin, and an increased awareness of what life might be like for the producers of the lovely coffees we get to enjoy every day. I have been encouraged by the rising number of requests for coffee that has a story, whether it’s higher-premium microlots, single farmer coffees, coffee programs that promote sustainability for producers, or organic and other certified coffees. Roasters hope to make an impact at origin through their buying practices.

More recently, I’ve had many requests (and much praise) for coffee from women producers and coffee projects led by women. I hope that these requests continue to grow, as women’s labor is often overlooked, undercompensated, and underappreciated in the industry. Royal is making an effort to buy and feature more of these coffees and I want to bring those offerings into the limelight. Let’s grow this demand for coffee produced by women in an effort to continue to move toward gender equality in the supply chain.

 

 

42318 NICARAGUA ORGANIC GRUPO EDEN PARAISO GRAINPRO

Finca El Paraiso is a 39 acre farm owned and operated by Brenda Peralta. The coffee has a soft, sweet profile with notes of brown sugar, dark chocolate, and sweet tobacco.

 

42592 PERU FTO CAFE DE MUJER APROCCURMA

APROCCURMA has 124 women producers and is working with them to help them establish land ownership and then provide training on organic management and environmental practices. This lot is made up of just the coffee from those women and has a soft sweet profile of caramel, walnut, chocolate, and apple. Look out for the two lots we’ll have coming in over the next few months as well! (42593 and 43594).

 

 

42151 SUMATRA FTO KETIARA MANDHELING GRADE 1

Rahmah (people in many parts of Indonesia only have one formal name) founded this cooperative nearly 20 years ago and she currently serves as chairwoman. This cooperative has a significant number of women serving in board member and management positions and prioritizes having female members which is uncommon in the male dominated Indonesian culture of Aceh. For many years, KOPEPI has supplied Royal coffee with a classic wet-hulled profile, and in this particular lot we noted butterscotch, grape, tobacco, and cedar.

 

 

41758 ETHIOPIA YIRGACHEFFE 1 ORGANIC NATURAL BEDHATU JIBICHO GRAINPRO

Bedhatu Jibicho started working in coffee in the 1960s and takes great pride in the fact that she has managed her family’s farm operations for over 50 years. Her coffee continues to impress year after year and this years lot is particularly elegant with notes of sweet berries, fudge, melon and cream.

 

 

42314 BRAZIL ORGANIC NATURAL CACHOEIRA 16+ (Sold out!)

Fazenda Cachoeira was established in the 1830s and has been passed down through several generations. Today, it is managed by Miriam Monteiro de Aguiar, who helped get the farm certified Organic in the early 1990s. She is currently the President of the Board of The Brazilian Association of Organic and Sustainable Coffees (ACOB), and a member of IWCA in Brazil. She continues to promote the need for a coffee production model with more sustainable and sound ecological practices.

 

43187 COLOMBIA FTO CAUCA AMUCC WOMEN’S COOPERATIVE GRAINPRO

Asociación de Mujeres Caficultoras del Cauca is a producing group of 274 members, 100% of whom are women – and their coffee is excellent. We just cupped the preshipment sample of this coffee last week, which had a syrupy body with notes of citrus, dark chocolate and apple.  

 

 

42795 & 42796 COLOMBIA ORGANIC CESAR SERRANIA DEL PERIJA WOMEN’S COOPERATIVE

Asociación de Mujeres Cafeteras Plan Mil is an all women cooperative founded in 1998. Today, Mujeres Cafeteras provides technical support and access to the international coffee market for its members, from which 33 farms have achieved their organic certification. Also, as a way of diversifying their income, women are supporting their youth to start a coffee roasting program aimed at supplying the local market.

 

43247 Rwanda Kivubelt Lot 16 Cyiya GrainPro

43248 Rwanda Kivubelt Lot 124 Murundo GrainPro

43249 Rwanda Kivubelt Lot 163 Jarama GrainPro

43250 Rwanda Kivubelt Lot 32 Murundo GrainPro

 

These four coffees come from Furaha Uzwizeye who started her coffee farm a few years ago in order to reinvest in her home community. She and her husband acquired about 200 hectares of land in Nyamasheke province on the shore of Lake Kivu, and have two washing stations there where they harvest their own coffee, and also work with local smallholders. These coffees are slated to arrive to Royal’s Oakland warehouse in December and have a bright, zesty profile.

 

 

42382 Honduras Santa Elena Catracha Dulce Meloso GrainPro

This juicy, sweet blend has notes of citrus, melon, cocoa, apple and grape. Two of the components of this blend are from women producers Francisca Vásquez and six of her children, and the Catracha Project itself was founded by Mayra Orellana-Powell. Catracha Coffee Company is a social enterprise dedicated to helping small coffee farmers in Santa Elena, Honduras access the international specialty coffee market. Mayra and her husband Lowell founded Catracha Community in order to go beyond coffee in order to promote prosperity for women and the next generation in Santa Elena.